The Baltimore City Youth Detention Center is currently facing challenges due to a partial failure of its air-conditioning system, affecting a small group of young defendants. According to Keith Martucci, a representative from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the malfunction has resulted in elevated temperatures in the gymnasium where nine youths are sleeping, with temperatures reaching into the 80s.
In response to the outage, staff members have set up fans equipped with ice cooling features to help alleviate the heat. Additionally, they are providing ice and cold beverages to ensure the comfort and safety of the affected juveniles. Martucci assured that there have been no reported medical issues stemming from the air-conditioning failure.
The gym serves as an overflow area for the youth at the facility, which typically houses around 82 boys and girls. While the gym itself lacks full cooling, Martucci noted that the young residents have access to air-conditioned hallways and other residential and medical areas within the center.
On Friday, the temperature in Baltimore reached approximately 88 degrees, with forecasts indicating a slight cool-down before temperatures are expected to rise again to around 90 degrees by Tuesday.
This incident follows a previous heating system failure in December, which left over 60 children at the center at risk due to extremely cold conditions. At that time, state officials indicated that the heating malfunction did not drop temperatures to dangerous levels, and they were actively working on repairs.
Reported by HarborBeat based on The Baltimore Banner (source).
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